Green Management
Green Management Vision 2030
Hyosung Chemical declared Green Management Vision 2030 in an effort to become a sustainable company that promotes a better life for humanity. Based on our four objectives of reducing GHG emissions, developing eco-friendly technologies and expanding the market, establishing an eco-friendly corporate culture, and enhancing stakeholder confidence, we establish and implement company-wide climate change response strategies by assigning specific responsibilities for each objective.
Becoming a sustainable company that improves people's quality of life
Green Management Promotion Organization
In the second half of 2021, Hyosung Chemical restructured the existing decision-making bodies—the EHS Committee and the CSR Committee—and launched a new ESG Management Promotion Committee under the CEO. Major agenda items are presented or reported to the BoD. The ESG Management Promotion Committee meets quarterly to discuss CDP responses, GHG risk management, and energy partnership projects.
As for dedicated organizations, we have an ESG management organization directly under the CEO's control and the Green Management Team within the Strategy Division to develop green management strategies, implement management, and disclose performance. The Power Generation Environment Team and the Production Department are responsible for reducing energy consumption and GHG emissions, whereas environment-related departments take charge of managing pollutant-emitting facilities and reducing pollutants at business sites.
Decision-making body
BoD
(ESG Management Committee)
- ESG Management
Promotion Committee - R&D Committee
Working organizations and their roles
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ESG management
Strategy establishment and performance disclosure
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Business
Management Team (Green Management Team)Strategy promotion and execution management
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Departments related to power generation and production
Discovery and execution of energy and GHG reduction projects
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Departments related to environment
Pollution reduction activities and management at business sites
Environmental Management System
In accordance with ISO 14001 (Environmental management systems), Hyosung Chemical has established an environmental management system based on the environmental operation and management process.
Environmental Management PolicyA. Environmental operation and management process
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1Management of organizational status
- Agenda-related decision-making
- Final decisions on key issues of the Sustainability Steering Committee
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2Risk Management
- Prevention through analysis of risks inherent in various factors
- Prevention of recurrence through risk response planning
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3Impact assessment
- Identification of environmental activity impacts and significance evaluation
- Registration of significant environmental impacts and improvement management
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4Legal and policy management
- Identification of convention requirements and training
- Application and inspection of the green management system based on conformance evaluation criteria
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5Environmental permits and licenses
- Review, inspection, and examination in case of establishing or expanding pollutant-emitting and pollution control facilities and any changes
- Promotion of stable operation
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6Green management operation activities
- Waste management
- Water management
- Chemical management
- Soil management
- Air quality management
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7Compliance evaluation management
- Establishment of an evaluation system based on reinforced internal standards and performance of evaluation
- Inspection of environmental performance indicators, and formulation and administration of environmental performance objectives
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8Change management
- Timely review of modifications to confirm their suitability and validity
- Prevention of risks in advance by reporting change outcomes and conducting training
B. Green management communication
C. Education and training
D. Environment and safety-related emergency response
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1Scenario creation by situation
- Creation of scenarios for various safety accidents
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2Emergency response training
- Establishment of an emergency response system for the environment and safety
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3Improvement of the emergency response system
- Minimization of human, material, and environmental damages through regular education and training
- Promotion of rapid normalization through advance preparation of recovery measures
Eco-friendly product and technology development strategy
Expansion of sustainable business portfolio
To reduce environmental damage caused by production activities and fulfill our corporate social responsibility, Hyosung Chemical actively pursues the establishment of a resource priority system and response to climate change by developing eco-friendly products and technologies, such as "expansion of application of polyketone" and "promoting PCR business.”
Creation of a hydrogen ecosystem
In line with the government's "hydrogen economy revitalization roadmap" and the trend toward eco-friendly mobility, Hyosung Chemical has partnered with a globally-recognized gas company, Linde PLC, to nurture a hydrogen ecosystem in Korea. Together with Hyosung Heavy Industries and Linde PLC, we plan to invest approximately KRW 300 billion by 2023 to construct a new liquid hydrogen facility (land area: approx. 30,000 m²) at the Yongyeon Plant of Hyosung Chemical with an annual production capacity of 13,000 tons.
Post-consumer recycled (PCR) technology and product development
In the European Union, regulations have been introduced that mandate the use of over 30% recycled materials in plastic packaging products by 2030. With the impact of the growth of e-commerce and contactless lifestyle leading to an increased demand for plastic, plastic waste has become a serious social issue. As a result, stakeholders’ awareness of the relationship between plastic and the climate crisis has increased and there is a stronger demand for eco-friendly solutions. To address these environmental changes and stakeholders’ demands, Hyosung Chemical plans to establish a vertically integrated value chain through partnerships focused on securing various post-consumer recycled (PCR) feedstock, technology development, product manufacturing and sales, both domestically and globally.
Concentrated development of polyketone, a new eco-friendly material
First developed by Hyosung Chemical, polyketone is an eco-friendly engineering plastic that was manufactured in 2013 for the first time in the world. Carbon monoxide, the primary cause of air pollution, is used as a raw material, and it is a key material representing the eco-friendly plastics market. It has a lower global warming potential than other engineering plastics, and the life cycle assessment (LCA) and objective reviews have verified its carbon dioxide emission reduction effects. Hyosung Chemical develops eco-friendly products and technologies with a focus on polyketones, and we are expanding their application to various fields, including building materials, engineering products, automobiles, and household and leisure goods.
- The only engineering plastic with a carbon-only polymer main chain
- High crystallinity,
compact crystal structure - Excellent impact resistance, abrasion resistance, chemical resistance, fuel resistance, and gas barrier properties
Development and commercialization of eco-friendly water treatment system
As the water crisis due to climate change deepens, Hyosung Chemical aggressively responds to the issue by developing and commercializing the membrane water treatment system. Membrane refers to a filtration membrane that allows only the desired substances to pass through. Hyosung Chemical's membrane water treatment system is a technology employing 0.03 ㎛-diameter hollow fibers. Beginning in 2012 with the development of an immersion-type water treatment technology, we acquired new membrane environmental technology certifications, including for our pressurized membrane filtration water treatment technology and two-stage submersion water treatment system.
Eco-friendly certifications
Hyosung Chemical makes company-wide efforts to obtain eco-friendly certifications in order to minimize environmental damage resulting from product manufacturing. With our efforts acknowledged, we obtained the Recycled Claim Standard (RCS) for our optical film products. We manufacture polyketone, a new high-molecular-weight material, using our technology that utilizes carbon monoxide and olefin. Together with this technology, our polyketone products have been certified as green technology and green technology products, respectively, in accordance with Article 61 of the Framework Act on Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth for Coping with the Climate Crisis and Article 27 of the Green Certification System Operation Guidelines. The green certification system certifies green technologies that conserve energy and resources, such as GHG reduction technology and energy use efficiency technology, so as to reduce GHGs and pollution.
Learn more about Environment Certification-
GRS[PCR-PP, PCR-PET Film]
The Global Recycled Standard (GRS) is an international recycling certification that ensures the continuity of management through process audits at all stages, from raw materials to sales, to demonstrate the use of recycled materials in products.
Hyosung Chemical has obtained Global Recycle Standard (GRS) certification for film products using PCR polypropylene at 100%, 70%, 50% pellets and PCR polyester materials.
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RCS[Optical Film]
The Recycled Claim Standard (RCS) applies to products that contain at least 5% recycled raw materials. It is a certification that ensures the continuity of managing recycled raw materials and finished products containing the same. The entire process is subject to audit, from raw material collection and processing to finished product manufacturing and sales.
The company has also acquired Recycled Claim Standard (RCS) certification for film products with 40% and 30% recycled materials content and DML optical films.
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USDA BioPreferred® program[Optical Film]
Biobased plastic refers to plastics composed of polymer materials synthesized from bio-derived ingredients, and the BioPreferred® program administered by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) is one of the certification systems for biobased plastics.
The biobased content standard required for each product category varies, but our optical film was certified with a 47% biomass content in the "Films: Semi-Durable (minimum biomass content: 45%)" category.
Efforts to expand awareness of environmental management
Hyosung has organized various contests and projects to increase eco-consciousness in society, as well as green management training for employees. We held the Carbon Fiber Startup Contest in 2014, the Eco-Friendly Idea Contest for University Students from 2017 to 2019, and the 21st Greenhouse Gas Energy Reduction Contest in 2021. As such, we will devote ourselves to increasing the interest of stakeholders in sustainable management.
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Carbon Fiber
"Creative Idea"
Startup ContestHyosung hosted a startup contest together with Jeollabuk-do Province. Among a total of 172 teams, 10 teams were awarded, including four teams in the carbon category, three in agriculture and life, and three in cultural content. The grand prize winner in the carbon fiber application field was an umbrella that strengthened durability by incorporating carbon fiber as a material and reduced the possibility of loss or theft by employing Bluetooth technology.
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Eco-friendly Idea Contest
Hyosung held an annual eco-friendly idea contest from 2017 to 2019.
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2017
The winners for the 2017 contest were "wireless electronic device charging shoes" and "brake pad dust collection device with zeolite filters applied."
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2018
In 2018, the grand prize went to "defecation bags made from bioplastics and containing seeds." These bags aim at preventing pollution and maintaining a clean environment. They are made from bioplastics that decompose in 20 days, and with seeds inside the bags, pet waste becomes natural fertilizer for flowers.
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2019
In 2019, the concept of a "low-cost mask capable of chemical purification" received the grand prize. Coating the particulate matter filter with a combination of various chemical solutions increases its efficiency by overcoming the limitations of existing particulate matter filters, which cannot filter out small particles contained in particulate matter.
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Internal contest for energy conservation and GHG reduction
idea submissionsIn the second half of 2021, Hyosung Chemical held an internal contest for energy conservation and GHG reduction idea submissions for employees. We solicited ideas such as energy reduction at the workplace, product commercialization, and reduction campaigns, and provided awards for outstanding ideas. In connection with the idea "carbon capture and utilization from factory effluent gas," which received an honorable mention, we are promoting the development of an eco-friendly, low-carbon Poketone™ that utilizes carbon monoxide produced by reforming carbon dioxide collected from factory effluent gas. We intend to continue to expand the commercialization of eco-friendly materials in an effort to reduce GHG emissions.
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Environmental education targeting
all employeesAll employees at Hyosung Chemical receive annual environmental education on topics such as the impact of climate change, carbon neutral policy, and the impact of climate change on biodiversity. We conduct group training on energy conservation activities as well as training on reduction methods so that the production, process, and technology-related departments at business sites that implement energy conservation and GHG reduction can deduce cost-effective reduction measures. We also provide ESG management training focusing on climate change and carbon neutrality targeting new recruits.